Chapter 54 Under the Table Game Two toes were gripping the edge of his trouser leg. ...
Hearing her say that, Meng Cenjun indeed leaned over and gave her a light kiss on the forehead, like an adult giving a child a goodnight kiss.
Lan Jia closed her eyes for a while, only feeling the warm mark on her skin, which quickly disappeared.
"What?!" She stared at him with some displeasure. "I don't want this kind of fleeting kiss."
"What kind of kiss was that?"
"At the very least, it should be a deep French kiss," she said shamelessly.
He smiled and looked her over for a moment, then said, "You know all this?"
Lan Jia inexplicably felt that his eyes were a little dangerous, so she shrank her head and chuckled awkwardly, "I just saw it in a movie and wanted to try it out."
“If you’re going to try it, you shouldn’t do it on an empty stomach.” Meng Cenjun patted her back, gesturing for her to get up. “The food will get cold soon, let’s eat dinner first.”
“No.” She always hated delayed gratification and immediately hugged his neck tightly. “Kiss me, and I won’t be hungry anymore.”
Though reluctant, Meng Cenjun still embraced her, nestling close to him in a sweet, tender moment, finally revealing the true meaning of soft, warm flesh. He always prided himself on his strong self-control, but now, alone and without many constraints, he didn't know how far he would go once things started. Lan Jia had the right to be capricious, but he couldn't indulge her. Thinking this way, he decided it was best not to begin.
"If you listen to me this time, I will compensate you double."
He released a generous amount of bait, which indeed attracted the fish. Lan Jia straightened up, her eyes shining: "Really? You have to keep your word!"
Meng Cenjun nodded indulgently.
Lan Jia chuckled to herself, already secretly plotting how she would play later.
After eating, the only sound in the kitchen was the running water. Meng Cenjun stood under the light washing dishes, glancing to the side every now and then, wary of Lan Jia suddenly coming in and attacking. All the cutlery, including knives and forks, was washed and put back in its place, but Lan Jia still hadn't come. She breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help feeling a sense of emptiness.
From childhood, Lan Jia's clinginess was irresistible, and this was his biggest headache. He had reminded her several times to keep her distance, but when she actually stopped clinging to him, he felt sad. This feeling had been hinted at before, but now it was even more pronounced.
Gradually, he also openly agreed with it.
That's just how despicable he is.
At this moment, Lan Jia was nestled on the sofa feeling dizzy. Meng Cenjun's cooking skills were really good. She cut the food into small pieces and coaxed her to eat, which made her very happy. Her stomach was so full that she could hardly stand up for a while.
I received a message notification by chance; it was from Song Qingqu.
After get off work, he went to the hospital again to tell her that Xu Xinwen's mother had come from her hometown to take care of her, and that both mother and daughter were doing well, so she could rest assured.
Lan Jia opened the photo and saw Xu Xinwen lying down, looking alright. A middle-aged woman in a brown coat was feeding her steamed egg custard, presumably her mother.
After I left that time, Lan Jia promised to visit her again, but unfortunately, I've been held up by various things these past two days, and I feel really bad about it.
Upon hearing this, Song Qingqu said that he would accompany her when she had time, as Xu Xinwen still had follow-up work to explain to her in person.
As soon as Lan Jia heard about the work, she knew that it couldn't be delayed, so she immediately made an appointment with him after get off work the next day. Song Qingqu agreed without any objection, and the two chatted about some trivial matters before calling it a day.
She lay on the sofa, opened the photo again, looked up at it, and felt that everything was going well, making her feel particularly relaxed and at ease.
When Meng Cenjun came out of the kitchen, he saw her grinning foolishly, seemingly chatting with someone.
Only when he got closer did she seem to notice him, casually setting her phone down and asking in a coquettish tone, "Are you going back already?"
He half-squatted in front of the sofa and glanced at it carefully. The screen was still on, and the name in the notes column was Song Qingqu.
Were we having such a pleasant conversation just now?
He felt a little uneasy, but he hid it, brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, and said with a smile, "It's impossible for us to spend the night here." The old lady told them to follow the rules, and that she couldn't hear about him not returning home all night.
Lan Jia, having considered this, also had reservations, but still enjoying teasing him, she smiled provocatively: "Then when can we come here to spend the night?"
He pinched her cheek, not too hard, but with a hint of warning: "You're thinking nonsense after you've eaten? I shouldn't have cooked for you."
It is human nature to think about sex when one is well-fed and clothed.
Lan Jia stretched lazily, not taking it seriously, and said in a lazy voice, "Fine! Let's go back then. But I'm so tired, I can't walk anymore."
Her short blouse rode up with her movements, revealing a section of her fair and delicate waist.
Meng Cenjun subtly avoided her gaze, pulled down her clothes, and scolded her irritably, "Spineless." But he still reached out and scooped her up by her back and knees, carefully lifting her up.
Lan Jia naturally wrapped her arms around his neck, a triumphant smile on her face.
On the way back, Meng Cenjun was still driving, but Lan Jia was in much better spirits, chattering away non-stop.
Meng Cenjun, who always preferred quiet, didn't feel disturbed at the moment. She listened to what she was saying, occasionally adding a word or two, with a calm smile on her face.
After getting off the bus, the two unconsciously clung to each other again, walking forward side by side. Standing under the eaves, just as they were about to open the door, they didn't expect the door to open from the inside first.
The bright lights of the room poured out, illuminating the faces of the two people clearly.
When Lan Jia finally saw Aunt Ming standing in front of her, she released Meng Cenjun's hand at the speed of light.
"You're back."
Upon seeing Meng Cenjun, Aunt Ming showed no unusual expression and smiled as she found the two people's shoes.
Lan Jia changed first, and Aunt Ming took her bag and casually asked from the side, "Why are you so late?"
"Oh, I had dinner with my brother after get off work." Lan Jia said without changing her expression, omitting all the details that made her blush and her heart race.
“When you called earlier, I thought you were with your colleagues,” Aunt Ming said.
Meng Cenjun lowered her head to change her shoes, listening intently, and couldn't help but start guessing again.
The two had been holding hands the whole way, but she suddenly let go, leaving him feeling depressed and uncomfortable.
"I was originally planning to go with Jingwei, but my brother just came back from his business trip." Lan Jia didn't intend to say more.
"Those two are just coming back for dinner, so I'll make a special Dendrobium and Abalone Chicken Stew. No restaurant food is as nourishing as home-cooked food."
"It's good to go out and try something different every now and then!" Lan Jia said, a little sensitive for some reason, and chided, "Why is Aunt Ming asking so many questions tonight?"
"You think I talk too much?" Aunt Ming chuckled. "Alright, then I won't say anything more." But her gaze couldn't help but drift towards Lan Jia's neck.
I couldn't figure out anything from the exposed areas, so I had to give up.
When no one was watching, Meng Cenjun quietly straightened her shirt collar.
Upon seeing him approach, Aunt Ming greeted him as usual, "Sir." Although she had previously served the old lady, she was still a servant, and she couldn't neglect the proper etiquette.
Meng Cenjun nodded in agreement, but didn't say anything to Lan Jia.
The brother and sister seemed to be deliberately avoiding suspicion; one went upstairs alone, while the other lingered downstairs for a while before slowly going up.
It's late at night, the lights downstairs are off, everyone's going to rest.
After showering, Meng Cenjun wrapped herself in a towel and stood in front of the mirror. With her chin slightly tilted back, she noticed a faint red mark on the side of her neck. It was from Lan Jia in the car on the way back. Fortunately, it was low on the ground and should be covered by her shirt.
He rubbed it with his fingertips and smiled inexplicably.
Back in his school days, he often saw these marks on the faces of people around him, and they spoke of them with sweet, honeyed words, taking great pride in them. At the time, he didn't understand what these red marks caused by ruptured subcutaneous capillaries had any special meaning. It wasn't until more than a decade later, when it appeared on his own body for the first time, that he finally understood what it meant.
It's a kiss, it's care, it's a unique mark.
From this moment on, he is no different from any other ordinary person in the world who is troubled by love.
Perhaps today was too special, as her mind remained in a state of heightened excitement, and she felt no sleepiness. Meng Cenjun changed her clothes and decided to spend some time in the study.
As I passed by Lan Jia's bedroom, the door was half-open, letting in a sliver of warm light.
He frowned, about to remind her to go to bed early, when he heard her on the phone, her voice soft, as if she were coaxing someone.
[Okay, okay, wait until I'm done with this, alright?]
[How did I lie to you? I really couldn't get away.]
[How about you book the restaurant next time? You can also plan the itinerary and do what you like.]
[Your gift? I've already prepared it, of course.]
[When have I ever picked one that you didn't like? You can rest assured.]
[...]
Qiao Zimu.
Meng Cenjun put down her hand and immediately thought of this name.
But she has to have her own life, her own circle of friends... Why bother arguing about these things with a child? He felt a little ridiculous.
Meng Cenjun ultimately didn't disturb her, nor did he pay attention to the light, and walked towards the study with a melancholy expression.
The next morning, the two appeared in the dining room on time.
The two sat facing each other at the dining table in silence.
The maid served breakfast, Meng Cenjun drank coffee and read magazines, and Lan Jia held a tablet, intently looking at a brand's newly launched jewelry.
"Miss, please eat a couple of bites, it'll be late again soon." Aunt Ming placed a glass of freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice in front of her.
Lan Jia responded with two "hmm" sounds, still reluctant to put it down.
Meng Cenjun's eyes swept over and saw a pair of Paraiba tourmaline earrings on the screen, radiant and like the mint green sea in midsummer.
"Which one have you taken a fancy to this time?" He took a leisurely sip of his coffee.
"Hmm... there are so many." Her light pink round fingernails tapped and clicked on the screen.
"Every single one is beautiful, I really can't choose one."
Lan Jia looked up and handed the tablet to him: "Brother, can you help me choose?"
Meng Cenjun put down the bone china cup and indeed looked at it for her. After a while, her pupils suddenly contracted sharply.
He quickly looked up and stared at her, only to see Lan Jia leaning back in her chair, smiling at him.
In the dining room, two or three servants were busy, and no one noticed that under the table, Lan Jia was using two toes to hold the edge of his trouser leg.
She would tug at him intermittently, or tease him subtly, rubbing against his calf skin affectionately.
Silently, Meng Cenjun clenched her fist, her knuckles turning white, and thought wistfully to herself:
She always has so many things she likes.
What if one day she gets tired of him?
Author's Note: I'm really hooked. [Milk Tea]
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